Narrative Methods in Psychology

An argument can be made that human experience is fundamentally narrative in nature. Furthermore, it can be claimed that we organize understandings of ourselves, others, and indeed the world around us, through stories. We construct meaning from the events of our lives, make sense of complex social phenomena and experiences and communicate our insights through narrative components such as plots and characters organized within temporal sequences. Despite the importance of narratives in human cognition and social interaction, however, the methodological tools that are used to study and analyze these stories have only recently begun to receive sustained attention. Narrative research has over the last three decades, developed dramatically from interpretive exercises in fields such as anthropology and literary studies into analyses addressing questions about human behavior, social structures and psychological processes. Narrative researchers may employ diverse methodological approaches, such as structural analysis of story grammar; thematic coding of life histories, computer-assisted text analysis and performative storytelling methodologies. Arts-based research often mobilizes a narrative approach to illuminate participants’ lived experiences through evocative narratives that use visual art, poetry, creative writing, videography and other techniques drawn from the arts. These approaches might also include participatory and social-justice based methods or make use of autoethnography to story researchers’ own lived experiences. Narrative approaches in psychology may also include participatory and community-based methodologies and reflexive approaches (including auto/biographical forms) where support clearly defined psychological research questions and ethical practice. These different disciplinary approaches share an understanding that human lived-experience may be more fully understood by paying attention to the stories people tell and the narrative structures that shape their understanding. However, there are important debates around trustworthiness, robustness, authenticity and the extent to which findings can or should be transferable. Within psychology, additional methodological questions include analytic transparency, authenticity of coding and interpretation (where relevant), and how narrative findings relate to or can be integrated with other forms of psychological evidence (e.g., creative/arts-based methods, ethnography, longitudinal designs, and mixed methods). The relationship between an individual story and broader social narrative structures thus needs ongoing theoretical and methodological refinement. Furthermore, there is the need to consider specific considerations around representation, voice and ethical responsibility in these forms of research. This collection will address the nature, affordances and challenges of narrative methods, with a particular focus on the points listed above, assembling a wide variety of research that analyses and represents narratives. The collection will prioritize submissions that are explicitly grounded in psychological theory, psychological constructs, and psychological research questions. We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Structural, thematic, computational, and performative approaches to narrative analysis• Arts-based, creative, and qualitative methodologies utilizing narrative • Narrative methods for studying psychological processes (e.g., identity, autobiographical memory, emotion, coping, meaning-making, wellbeing, and behavior change)• Digital narratives and the analysis of narrative data in digital environments relevant to psychological research (e.g., online support communities, social media, digital storytelling in interventions)• Ethical, representational, and methodological considerations in narrative research• Clinical, counseling, health, developmental, social, cultural, and community psychology applications of narrative methods• Theoretical reflections on narrative, meaning-making, and psychological development across the lifespan• Mixed-method and integrative approaches combining narrative data with other psychological measures and designsSubmissions may range from micro-level analyses of identity to macro-level examinations of social change studies of how personal and shared narratives shape psychological experience within relationships, groups, communities, and cultures, while maintaining a clear focus on psychological constructs and mechanisms. The collection will provide both practical guidance for researchers and theoretical insights that advance understanding of how stories shape individual lives and psychological functioning in social context.We welcome all article types accepted by the journal, including original research across diverse populations, methods papers offering practical guidance, and theoretical contributions. We position narrative methods as rigorous, valid approaches in themselves, not merely supplementary approaches to be used in conjunction with more traditional methods. Topic editors: Paul M W Hackett, Helen Fiona Johnson, Katie Sullivan, Husein Inusah Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77281/narrative-methods-in-psychology